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of the jolting wreck had somewhat subsided, and at pistol point but not robbed. These people were:
the near panic had eased, they were told that Mrs. S. E. Brown, Bakersfield; Mrs. Robert
the only persons injured were the veteran engineer Rasmus, Bakersfield; Mrs. H. Schacht, Chicago;
and fireman. With respect to the primary evidence Miss Helen Lowe, Chicago; Miss Ann Stowell,
that this incident was a criminal case of train Sacramento. The erratic behavior of the bandit
wrecking, The Southern Pacific Railroad alerted proved to benefit Miss Ann Henry, a stenographer
its Chief Special Agent Dan O'Connell in San from Sacramento who said: "Of course I was
Francisco and also notified the Police Chief at terrified, and immediately tore off my rings and
Burbank, California. About 15 minutes after the handed them to the bandit." He smiled and said:
train had derailed, the passengers were told to "I don't want 'em lady, keep 'em." Not so fortu-
re-train by a nervous little man who seemed to nate was Mr. Mc Mullen who was standing next
be in authority. He told them that the undamaged to her at this time. Evidently the robber found him
portion of the train would soon be pulled back to much less alluring, but much more interesting than
Saugus by a relief locomotive. Most of the passen- Miss Henry, and this cost Mr. Mc Mullen $30.
gers complied in an effort to expedite their return Dr. Campbell and Dr. W. P. O'Rourke of Seattle,
to some semblance of normalcy, and they entered Washington were on errands of mercy which re-
the Pullmans at the rear of the train. Then a sulted in their being overlooked by the bandit.
most amazing thing happened, much to the chagrin Both had rushed forward, realizing that crew mem-
of the excited victims. In a complete reversal bers and passengers doubtlessly were injured and
from his humanitarian attitude, the man with the in need of medical aid. This humanitarian act saved
professed authority produced an object that left Dr. O'Rouke $100 and the embarrassment of facing
little doubt that he was in complete charge of the gunman. As the bandit went from victim to
the situation. victim, an all pervading sense of doom gripped them.
The . 38 caliber pistol that he held in his The man, wearing a blue bandana handkerchief,
trembling hand added substance to his caustic waved his gun under their noses with reckless
snarl that this indeed was a robbery. In just a abandon. They had already survived a terrible
few terror stricken moments it was discovered train wreck, only to find themselves placed in
that a train derailment was to become a criminal double jeopardy by a five and one-half foot idiot
act of premeditated wrecking, and now it was who demanded cash or life.
being compounded into a dastardly crime of armed A lady named Mrs. Hoffman, 7 4 years of age,
robbery. The 15 minute interval between the was badly frightened by the bandit. "I was sleeping
moment the 5042 rolled over on its side, and the soundly when the wreck awakened me," she de-
arrival of the hold-up men in the coaches, led to clared. "Then all of a sudden the curtains of my
much speculation. The officers were unable to berth parted and here was a gun sticking in my face.
account for this waiting period, except to sub- A gruff voice demanded my money and you can
stantiate that the intent to commit the robbery bet I handed him all I could find, which was $25,
was a sudden decision made in a deranged mind. and as quickly as I could." Pompey J. Anderson,
The authorities also believed that the train reached Negro porter, readily admitted that he was
the spike-less rails while the wrecker, in a sadistic "scared." "Ya Sir - Boy ah'm still shaking. Ah
state of overwhelming joy, stood in the bushes never was so glad to see anybody leave in all my
near the track, and happily watched as the engine life."
and cars piled into the ditch. It was only by This kind of experience was an accepted risk
the grace of God that 5042 negotiated a high fill for travelers by railroad in the Jesse James era,
while bouncing along the ties. If she had plunged but was this not a civilized west now? It was
off the grade and tumbled down the high em- inconceivable that such an amazing event could
bankment, many of the passengers would have transpire in this modern world just a few miles
probably suffered the same fate as the engine removed from the gaudy jungle of lights of one
crew, and the casualty list would have been large. of America's largest cities. Historically, and by
The robber then shoved the short barreled custom, these type adventures had been relegated
"heater" into the conductor's back, and com- to the dusty files of a conquered wilderness once
manded him to enter the coaches against his known as the western plains. It was hard to ration-
will. Being a man with good ability to reason, alize that the wild and wooly west had been tamed
Conductor French went along with the robber, for many years, especially while being sub.iected to
well realizing that discretionary action negated such indignities as looking down a gun barrel
the possibility of his becoming a prematurely en- which looked as big as a tunnel bore. So felt Mr.
tombed hero. Five persons said they were herded Irwin Bennett, a retired banker from Manchester,
into one coach of the train, and were held quiescent England who was enroute to Willows, California

41 THREE BARRELS OF STEAM